Sergey Debizhev about making the film

In the modern world, visualization of ideas has become crucial. Celestial Tavrida is a large-scale narration of the history, culture, nature, and people of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Globally, the project seeks to demonstrate the whole power, beauty and potential of the Republic of Crimea, as well as its natural and human energy that actually gives rise to the genius loci. The story is extremely spectacular, showing to best advantage all the richness, the significance and the prospects of the Crimea, as part of the Russian state, the most valuable and the most pure diamond in its crown.

Top level filming

The most advanced filming techniques were applied when making the movie. The cameramen had to wait for certain nature and weather conditions, shooting at dawns and sunsets, in fogs and storms, in mountain gorges, above and under water. This requires different approaches and special filming methods. Some equipment including a light drone was manufactured specially for the project, and some filming techniques had never been used before.
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Sergey Debizhev, the author

He is a member of the Expert Council for Cinematography of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. He is also a member of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia as well as the Union of Russian Artists. Sergey Debizhev is Russia’s well-known and most renowned documentary maker who has created over 30 feature films and documentaries, winning prizes and diplomas at prestigious domestic and international film forums including Grand Prix at major film festivals.

Numerous publications and many TV stories have been released featuring Sergei Debizhev's work. His films are screened on Central Russian TV channels and are studied by students of cinematographic universities.

Layers of history

Basically, the film project aims to show the layers of the Crimean history. The peninsula has an eventful history, for peoples and cultures have alternated here over the centuries. It is like an incredible layer cake that originates in obscurity...

The Crimean team

For me it is very important that we managed to find world-class cameramen in Crimea. They know the region perfectly, they love it, and understand all the finest details. Apart from just being professionals, they were really fascinated by the project. ‘It was the dream of all my life, I have always wanted to make such a film’, said Alexey Nemov, director of photography, when he heard that we would work together.

Hymn to the peninsula

This spectacular, lively, impressive film made at world-class level gives both Russian and international audiences an account of the unique nature of Crimea: its beauty, diversity of geographical landscapes, its history and multiculturalism. In 2020-2021, the film will be screened at both international and Russian film festivals, premieres will take place in Moscow, Crimea, and St. Petersburg. The film will also be shown on television, in cinemas, and online platforms.